I kept my face neutral.
“And you think I’m the right person for that?”
She nodded.
“You’re the best in the business, Zara. Everybody knows that. I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I’m hoping maybe we can put that behind us.”
I wanted to laugh. Instead, I stood, smoothed my skirt, and said, “I’ll take a look at your property and see what I can do. No promises.”
The relief on her face was immediate.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to us.”
Oh, I thought. I think I know exactly how much it means.
Over the next several weeks, I worked with Ethan and Chloe to get their house ready for sale. I sent in my stagers, my photographers, and my contractors for touch-ups. We modernized the place just enough to make it shine without overspending. But beneath the fresh paint and curated decor, the tension between them was impossible to miss. Ethan was short-tempered, impatient, snapping at Chloe over small things like lamp placement or listing notes. Chloe seemed drained, quieter each time I saw her, her eyes flat in a way that no concealer could hide.
One afternoon, while we were going through paperwork at the kitchen island, Chloe pulled me aside.
“Can I talk to you privately for a minute?”
I led her into a quieter room near the back of the house. She took a shaky breath.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Ethan… he’s not the man I thought he was.”